Support device of a cassette

ABSTRACT

A support device of a cassette includes a plurality of spacers and a support. The spacers extend from the side boards of the cassette into the substrate retaining space. The support is disposed on the spacers to support the substrates.

This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No.93122334, filed Jul. 26, 2004, the subject matter of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates in general to a support device, and moreparticularly to a support device of a cassette.

2. Description of the Related Art

A glass substrate is essential to Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)fabrication. As it should be, providing a space for containing the glasssubstrate is indispensable during production. A conventional cassette isused to retain glass substrates. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a frontview and a perspective top view of a conventional cassette are shownrespectively. A conventional cassette includes a first board 102, asecond board 103, a left side board 104, a right side board 105, and arear board 106, thereby defining a space. Several partitioning sticks110 are respectively disposed on the inner surfaces of the left andright side boards 104 and 105 and partition the space into severalsubstrate retaining areas 150 for retaining glass substrates 160. Everypartitioning stick has a pin-shaped member 120 disposed thereupon.Besides, the top of the pin-shaped member 120 functions as a pointsupport 122.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the conventional cassette has several pointsupports 122 to uphold the glass substrate 160. However, the glasssubstrate 160 might deform due to the unequal supporting strength of thepoint supports 122 to the surface of the glass substrate. Besides, theglass substrate 160 might deviate from its right position because ofinsufficient friction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a support deviceof a cassette, which improves the supporting strength distribution onthe surface of the glass substrate, and prevents the deformation ordamage of the glass substrate due to the unequal supporting strength.Besides, the support device of the invention can steadily receive glasssubstrates of different sizes.

The invention achieves the above-identified object by providing asupport device of a cassette, for supporting at least one substrate. Thecassette includes a first board, a second board, two side boards, and arear board, thereby defining a space. The support device includesseveral spacers, and a first support. The spacers extend from the sideboards into the space. The first support is disposed on and connects thespacers.

The invention achieves the above-identified object by further providinga cassette, for retaining a substrate. The cassette includes a firstboard, a second board, two side boards, a rear board, and a firstsupport. The first board and the second board are parallel with eachother. The two side boards vertically connect the first board and thesecond board. The first board, the second board, the two side boards,and the rear board define a space. The spacers extend from the sideboards into the space. The first support is disposed on and connectingthe spacers.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the preferred butnon-limiting embodiments. The following description is made withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A (Prior Art) is a front view of a conventional cassette;

FIG. 1B (Prior Art) shows a perspective top view of the conventionalcassette of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a front view of a cassette according to a preferredembodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 2B-2C show perspective top views of the cassette in FIG. 2A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a front view and a perspective top view ofa cassette according to a preferred embodiment of the invention areshown respectively. The cassette is used for retaining at least onesubstrate 260. The cassette includes a first board 202, a second board203, a left side board 204, a right side board 205, a rear board 206,several left spacers 212 and several right spacers 214, and several leftand right first supports 222 and 224. The first board 202 and the secondboard 203 are parallel with each other. Both of the left and right sideboards 204 and 205 vertically connect the first board 202 and the secondboard 203. The rear board 206, the first board 202, the second board203, and the two side boards 204 and 205 define a space. The left andright first supports 222 and 224 of the cassette are disposed on andconnect the left and right spacers 212 and 214 respectively. The leftand right spacers 212 and 214 extend from the left and right side boards204 and 205 into the space respectively. Within one substrate retainingareas 250, the left spacers 212 are arranged in parallel, and the rightspacers 214 are also arranged in parallel.

The left first support 222 connecting the left spacers 212 isperpendicularly disposed thereupon and fixed to at least one of the leftspacers 212. The left first support 222 in FIG. 2B is perpendicularlydisposed thereupon and fixed to all of the left spacers 212 while theleft first support 222 in FIG. 2C is perpendicularly disposed thereuponand fixed to part of the left spacers 212. Similarly, the right firstsupport 224 connecting the right spacers 214 is perpendicularly disposedthereupon and fixed to at least one of the right spacers. The rightfirst support 224 in FIG. 2B is perpendicularly disposed thereupon andfixed to all of the right spacers 214 while the right first support 224in FIG. 2C is perpendicularly disposed thereupon and fixed to part ofthe left spacers 214. The ways of fixing the support onto the spacerscan be wedging, mortising, screwing, clipping, hooking, nailing or otherdesigns of fastening. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, theleft and the right first supports 222 and 224 of the cassette aredirectly disposed on the spacers, so as to provide as many substrateretaining areas as the conventional cassette does.

Moreover, the cassette further includes a second support 226 extendingfrom the rear board 206 and is preferably arranged in parallel with theleft and the right first supports 222 and 224, as shown in FIGS. 2B and2C. The left first support 222, the right first support 224, and thesecond support 226 can be strip-shaped and respectively have a first topsurface 222 a, a second top surface 224 a, and a third top surface 226a. The top surfaces 222 a, 224 a and 226 a are made of materials withhigh friction coefficients and define a level surface so as to firmlyuphold the substrate 260. In particular, when a substrate 260 isretained in the substrate retaining area, the first and the second topsurfaces 222 a and 224 a contact the two sides of the substrate 260 andthe third top surface 226 a contacts the middle of the substrate 260 soas to uphold the substrate 260. The left first support 222, the rightfirst support 224, and the second support 226 function as surfacesupports, therefore, the support device according to the preferredembodiment of the invention improves the supporting strengthdistribution on the surface of the glass substrate, thus preventing thedeformation or damage of glass substrate due to the unequal supportingstrength. Besides, the cassette according to the invention providessurface support to steadily receive glass substrates of different sizes.The support device is detachable so that the distances among thesesupports can be adjusted in accordance with the sizes of the substrates.The glass substrates with different sizes can be upheld by the first andthe second supports, or simply upheld by several second supports.Further, the cassette according to the invention provides as manysubstrate retaining areas as the conventional cassette does.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms ofa preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope ofthe appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadestinterpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similararrangements and procedures.

1. A support device of a cassette, wherein the cassette includes a firstboard, a second board, two side boards, and a rear board, therebydefining a space, the support device comprising: a plurality of spacers,extending from the side boards into the space respectively; and a firstsupport, disposed on and connecting the spacers.
 2. The support deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the spacers are arranged in parallel. 3.The support device according to claim 1, wherein the first support isperpendicularly disposed upon the spacers.
 4. The support deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first support is fixed to at least oneof the spacers.
 5. The support device according to claim 1, furthercomprises a second support, extending from the rear board into thespace.
 6. The support device according to claim 5, wherein the firstsupport and the second support are arranged in parallel.
 7. The supportdevice according to claim 5, wherein the first support and the secondsupport have a first top surface and a second top surface respectively,wherein the first top surface and the second top surface define a levelsurface.
 8. A cassette for retaining a substrate comprising: a firstboard; a second board, parallel to the first board; two side boards,vertically connecting the first board and the second board, wherein thefirst board, the second board, and the two side boards define a space; aplurality of spacers, extending from the side boards into the space; anda first support, disposed on and connecting the spacers.
 9. The cassetteaccording to claim 8, wherein the spacers are arranged in parallel. 10.The cassette according to claim 8, wherein the first support isperpendicularly disposed upon the spacers.
 11. The cassette according toclaim 8, wherein the first support is fixed to at least one of thespacers.
 12. The cassette according to claim 8 further comprising a rearboard and a second support extending from the rear board into the space.13. The cassette according to claim 12, wherein the first support andthe second support are arranged in parallel.
 14. The cassette accordingto claim 12, wherein the first support and the second support have afirst top surface and a second top surface respectively, wherein thefirst top surface and the second top surface define a level surface.